When did you know this is what you wanted to do, and what events led you to choose it?

Ever since I was a young child , my parents and myself realized that I had a passion for the arts. My parents invested in my interest ,such as singing lessons , dance lessons and painting. As I grew older , I started to pay more attention to Photography. I was fascinated with the concept of capturing moments. With minimal knowledge about how to manoeuvre a camera , I purchased my first one at the age of 16 .With time , I taught myself how to capture and edit photos. Here I am today , snapping pictures and still learning.

Toughest thing you had to overcome to do what you do? And what/who helped you?

Having the funds and time to make it all work is very challenging. I often find myself sacrificing sleep because my days usually consist of going to school , going to my part-time job , then working on my photography or paintings. As mentioned earlier , passion , strength and inspirations keep me going.

Has anyone/anything ever inspired you to become who you are (to follow your dreams)? Have you ever inspired anyone directly?

Yes , Basquiat. This native New-Yoker is a painter , graffiti artist , poet and musician. He’s multi-talented within the art realm , like myself. His life story is very inspiring. Check out his biography to see why I am so in love with this late artist. Ps , I’m so in love with him that I have a tattoo of his famous crown on my lower back. hehehe

One mistake that you made in your journey? How have you learnt from them?

Working with people that I don’t trust from the gecko. I’ve learned to be very straightforward with clients or potential clients and not to take on photography jobs that I don’t feel comfortable doing.

Upcoming projects? Plans/goal? (about anything, if you have any)

This summer , I plan on working on at least one my ‘photography narratives’ projects . Stay tunned !

What advice would you give to other people? (Just about life in general - It could be about anything)

Always look around for more inspiration !

Cleopatra: Profile

Full name

Cassandra Even-Hen

Age

21

Place of Birth? (city, country)

Ottawa , Canada

Where you live now? (city, country)

Ottawa , Canada

Origins (where parents are from)? (city, country)

Mother : Haiti , Father ; Israël

First Language?

English And French

What do you do? (Profession/Occupation)

Art History student , Photographer

How long have you been doing it?

I’ve been snapping pictures for over 3 years now

Fav. Song

Time For Decisions by Daso and Ofrin

Fav. Musician/Vocal artist/Rapper/Singer

Florence & The Machine , Kanye West , A Tribe Called Quest

Fav. Movie

Pumpkin

Fav. Actor/Actress

Leonardo DiCaprio

Fav. Clothing brand

My closet consist of a mixture of clothing brands, so it’s hard to say.